Guide for skip-cars or the like.



PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

R. SCHNEIDER.

GUIDE FOR SKIP CARS OR THE LIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1904.

IIIIIIIIIIIII WW7 77E/NH01 a Jam 005R I, /1 6X @241 y W UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

REINHOLD SCHNEIDER, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GUIDE FOR SKIP-CARS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,102, dated. June 27, 1905. Application filel July 25, 1904. Serial No. 218,154.

To all whom it 71mg concern/.-

Be it known that I, RnINHoLn Sonuninnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sharon, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improven'ients in Guides for Skip-(Jars or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a gravityreturn guide for the skip-cars of blast-fur naces and the like. whether the cars be used singly or in multiple.

In devising the present invention it has been my aim to provide a construction in which all danger of the breaking of the hoisting-cable and the :falling of the skip-car, due to overhoisting, shall be avoided.

In constructions at presentin use by reason of carelessness on the part of the operator or for other reasons, such as failure of the indi cator to work or the like, the skip-car is frequently elevated by the hoisting mechanism to too great an extent, with the result that the front wheels of the skip-car will swing rearward and the car start down, when the hoisting-cable is paid out, in an inverted position, thus causing the car to strike the skip-bridge structure and stick or become wedged, and when it is endeavored to release it by starting the hoisting machinery there is great danger of breaking the cable and droppii'ig the car into the skip-pit.

By my invention I avoid all danger of the car starting down in a reversed position and the consequent danger of sticking and breakage and provide a wider range of movement at the upper end of the hoist while enabling the apparatus to be used by a less CXPOI'IOIICOd crew.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side elevation, partly in section, of the top structure of a blast-furnace with a single skip. Fig. 2 is asectional view on line X X of Fig. 1.

Referring by reference characters to the drawings, the letter 1/ designates the hopper extension of the blast-furnace, which hopper receives the material discharged 'from the skip-car, (indicated by the letter 7/.) The skipcar is provided with front wheels 0, which have a single tread only, and rear wheels (Z, provided with a double tread. Both front and rear wheels run on rails a to the point indicated by the letter I, whence the rails curve inward over the edge of the hopper, where they terminate in an upward and slightly-backward bend.

Railsf, carried by the beams 1 start at the point I and extend on up at the same inclination as the portion of the rails 1: below said point I, and these rails are arranged, as shown, in line with the outside treads of the wheels (7. Thus as the skip-car is drawn upward by the pull of the cable or chain upon the bail It the front wheels c will travel inward upon the curved portions of the rails 13, while the rear wheels fl will travel on up the rails f, causing the car to assume the position shown and the contents thereof to be emptied into the furnace.

On the under or rear side of each beam 7 is secured in line with rails c a block 1', preferably of the shape shown, and on each side of the body of the car, near the front lower corner thereof, is secured a contact member, such as a roller or wheel.

Should now the car be over-hoisted, but not to such an extent as to lift the front wheels clear of the rails, the said front wheels cannot roll rearward on the track, owing to the engagement of the rollers with the opposite sides of the upturned ends c of the rails 0. Should the overhoisting be carried to such a degree that the front wheels will be lifted clear of the rails c, then the tendency of the front portion of the car to swingrearwardly will be resisted by the contact of wheels with rail portions w until the wheels (1 are in line with blocks Z', up which they will simply roll. On the slackening of the hoisting-" ble the car body will be lowered in such a position that the rollers or wheels 1' will strike the rear sides of the portions e of the rails c, thus holding the forward end of the car until the rear wheels are sufliciently lowered to prevent the front wheels c from swinging rearward.

It will be noticed that on each railf at the point where the roller is shown in Fig. 1 is an inclined or bent portion. This is important to prevent the rollers v. from striking the end 6 of the rails 6 before the skip-car has arrived in the position of final dumping, in which position it is shown in Fig. 1. Thus the rollers 2' only engage the bends when overhoisting takes place.

\Vhile in the present case I have shown and described the invention as embodied in a single-skip hoist, it will be understood that it is not limited in this respect, but may with equal facility and efficiency be applied to a doubleskip hoist, and the invention may be utilized in other similar situations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combination with the hopper of a blastfurnace or the like, a skip-carhaving front and rear wheels and hoisting means for said car, an inclined track leading to the top of the hopper upon which said wheels run, track portions curving inwardly at their inner ends upon which said forward wheels only run, when the car reaches the top of the furnace, and having upwardly and rearwardly turned ends and other track portions on which the rear Wheels only run, and contact members on the car for engaging said upwardly-turned ends when the car is overhoisted,substantially as described. l

2. In combination with the hopper of a blastfurnace or the like, a skip-car having front and rear wheels and hoisting means for said car, an inclined track leading to the top of the hopper upon which said Wheels run, track portions curving inwardly at their inner ends upon which said forward wheels only run, when the car reaches the top of the furnace, and having upwardly and rearwardly turned ends and other track portions extending on, up which the rear wheels only run, contact members on the car for engaging said upwardly-turned ends when the car is overhoisted and stationary contact devices for coacting with the front wheels of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REINHOLD SCHNEIDER. \Vitnesses:

A. W. WVILLIAMs, EDWARD J ONES. 

